FI127422B - Method, computer program and apparatus for controlling a crane, and method to update a crane - Google Patents

Abstract

Method, computer program and hardware for controlling the crane and method for updating the crane. The crane is controlled or the crane is upgraded to be controlled by: a) providing (310) a video image of the crane lifting point; b) determining (320) the current position and the future position of the lifting member or load relative to the formed video image; c) combining (330) with the formed video image an indication of a future position of the lifting member or load; and d) repeating steps (b) and c) repeatedly (340) for real-time indication of the future position of the lifting member or load.

Description

METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM AND EQUIPMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE CRANE AND METHOD FOR UPDATING THE CRANE

ENGINEERING

The present invention relates generally to a method, computer program and apparatus for controlling a crane and a method for updating a crane.

BACKGROUND

This section describes background information useful to the reader without intending to acknowledge the state of the art described herein.

Operating the crane is a demanding task. A lifting member, such as a hook, and the load or object of the load are typically far from the user with respect to the acceptable tolerance for lifting. It is particularly difficult to estimate the actual position of the lifting device moving from high upwards and sideways.

Some applications, such as factories, require strict safety limits for lifts, meaning that people must stay outside a certain area during lifting. Keeping within safe limits is part of safe lifting. Frequently, the crane users, operators, evaluate the safety limits based on their own knowledge. However, the operator may not be aware of the protected areas of the application. This may cause confusion when operating the crane.

It is also difficult to estimate where the crane stops. An inexperienced operator will have difficulty with crane deceleration ramps, during which the load will move even after the operator has stopped controlling the crane, for example by pressing a button. Even for an experienced operator, anti-swinging, whose impact on lifting progress is sometimes difficult to accurately predict, can be problematic.

In some modern cranes, it is possible to drive the crane along a pre-programmed route, or at least program the crane to bypass protected areas. Here

20165994 prh 20 -12- 2016 It can be difficult for the operator to see where and what route the crane is going to take. With current technology, the operator must identify the object by name and remember the programmed route to know what the next movement of the crane will be, or the frequently repeated route could even be painted on the floor. Similarly, the floor could be painted with safety margins, for example, but marking the painted borders is practically only suitable for a few applications.

Konecranes has developed the RTG Container Crane Boxhunter, which can be used to stack containers one over five, and holds six containers side by side in addition to the driveway.

The Boxhunter, unlike previous RTG container crane developments, has moved the cab down. The necessary view of the crane's work area is arranged using video cameras. This gives the operator access to and from the cab in seconds and allows the operator to monitor directly from the window and near the cab, for example, to lower a container onto a container platform of a truck or train. Video is provided, for example, from a camera attached to the crane wagon, which provides a view directly above the lifting member. In addition, video control is provided, for example, with downward-facing cameras to control lifting. The image of these cameras gives a better view of the lifting environment. More information is available to the operator, enabling more accurate and secure control.

It is a further object of the invention to improve the accuracy and safety of crane control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of controlling a crane, wherein:

(a) making a video image of the crane lifting point; bj determining the current position and the future position of the lifting device or load relative to the video image produced;

cj combining with the resulting video image an indication of a future position of the lifting member or load; and

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d) repeating steps b) and c) repeatedly for real-time indication of the future position of the lifting device or load.

Said video image generation can be accomplished with a video camera located 5 known lateral distances from the crane lifting means. Said lateral distance may be constant. Alternatively, said lateral distance may change during crane movement. Said step b) can account for said change in lateral distance.

Said future position may correspond to a situation where the lifting device or load is lowered to its lower position (i.e., as far as it can be lowered, for example on the floor, on the ground, on a truck or ship loading platform or on a container stack). For a variable substation height, the future position of the lifting device or load may be determined by utilizing pre-existing information on the landing height at that position, or by measuring the height or distance of the said substation from the crane.

The said future location may be an estimated stopping point. The crane speed and deceleration can be taken into account when determining the future position. This future position may take into account the movement path programmed for the crane. The method may comprise combining the indication of a programmed path or a portion thereof with the generated video image.

In addition, the method may combine a demonstration with a video image of the crane safety area. Said safety zone can be determined dynamically based on at least one of the following: lifting height; mass of the load; the dangerousness of the load, such as corrosivity or flammability; direction of crane movement; and crane movement speed.

The method may further define a crane path limiting relative to the generated video image and combine the indication with said crane path limiting video image. This restriction may be based on the crane

20165994 prh 20 -12-2016 to the crane's working area and / or the crane's designated protection area.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of upgrading a crane, wherein:

installing one or more video cameras to depict the environment of the crane lifting device, unless a suitable video camera is already available; and arranging the crane control apparatus to perform steps b) -d) of the first aspect using a video image obtained from a video camera depicting the crane environment.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program comprising computer executable program code which, when executed, directs the device to execute a method according to the first aspect or one of its related embodiments.

The computer program of the third aspect may comprise program code which may be executed, for example, by any of the following: a general-purpose processor, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit, and a digital signal processor.

The computer program according to the third aspect may be stored on computer-readable media. Such media may be, for example, a diskette, CDROM, DVD, USB memory, memory card or other magnetic or optical storage media.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for controlling a crane comprising:

means arranged to form a video image of the crane lifting point;

means arranged to determine, with respect to the resulting video image, the current position and the future position of the lifting member or load;

means arranged to combine with the formed video image an indication of a future position of the lifting member or load; and means arranged to repeatedly perform said determination and reconnection for real-time indication of the future position of the lifting member or load.

Various embodiments of the present invention have been described in connection with some aspects of the invention. However, corresponding embodiments may be applicable to other aspects and related embodiments.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a crane according to one embodiment; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a crane control apparatus;

Figure 3 shows a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment; and Figures 4-6 are screen shots illustrating some embodiments of the invention.

In the following description, like reference numerals refer to like parts or steps.

Figure 1 shows an RTG container crane 100, in this case 20, moving on rails 150 according to one embodiment. The dimensions of the pattern are exaggerated to improve the clarity of the drawing.

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The crane 100 has a longitudinally extending body 110 and a transverse moving carriage 120. In this case, the crane body moves on rails below the crane.

150, but the crane could equally well be, for example, a bridge crane moving on rails close to the height of the lifting equipment.

The crane 100 has a lifting member 140 drawn in dashed form as it remains behind the moving carriage 120 when viewed from above. The crane also has a camera C 130, which is drawn next to the carriage 120. There may be more than one camera and / or the camera may be located under the carriage 120 for rain protection, but here it is drawn beside the carriage mainly for the sake of clarity of the drawing.

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Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a crane control apparatus 200. In this example, the control apparatus 200 is implemented using a programmable computer, such as an industrial data machine or a server. The controller hardware 200 comprises a communication interface 210 which may be, for example, a wireless or wired digital or analog communication port (such as Ethernet, Ethernet / IP (industrial protocol), CAN, CIP, WLAN, RS-232). The controller hardware 200 further comprises a processor 220, optionally a user interface 230 (e.g., display, keyboard, pointing device, touch screen), memory 240 and computer program code 250 stored in memory 240 for execution by processor 220.

The computer program code 250 and the processor 220 are arranged to jointly control the operation of the controller hardware 200.

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling a crane 300 according to an embodiment, wherein:

310 creating a video image of the crane lift;

320 determining the current position and the future position of the lifting member or load relative to the video image formed;

330 combining with the formed video image an indication of the future position of the lifting member or load; and

340 repeatedly repeats steps 320 and 330 for real-time indication of the future position of the lifting member or load.

Preferably, the video image is formed by a video camera located at a known lateral distance from the crane lifting member, for example in the crane carriage. In this case, for example, the lowered position of the lifting member can be calibrated by lowering the lifting member once and indicating the position of the lifting member in the resulting video image or automatically identifying the lifting member. For automatic identification, for example, a sign containing a QR code may be affixed to the lifting device, or the mark may be painted or glued to the lifting device by means of a sticker.

Alternatively, said lateral distance may change during crane movement. For example, a video image may be formed by one or more fixed installations

20165994 prh 20 -12- 2016 camera that stays in place as the crane moves. Said step 320 may take into account said change in lateral distance. In the case of a stationary camera, the future position of the lifting device or load may be calculated relative to the video image produced, taking into account the change in the geometry between the video image and the crane caused by the movement of the crane. The computation can be carried out using trigonometry known per se, for example with processor 220. Alternatively, a pre-formed table may be used instead of computation.

Figures 4-6 are screen shots illustrating some embodiments of the invention.

Said future position may correspond to a situation where the lifting device or load is lowered to its lower position (i.e., as lowered as the point, for example to the floor, ground, truck or ship loading platform or container stack) as shown in FIG. for the height of the lower position, the future position of the lifting device or load may be determined by utilizing pre-existing information on the lowering height at that position or by measuring the height or distance of the said position from the crane. For example, in the case of a container crane, previously stored information on container locations can be used from the container field so that the height below the lifting member to which the crane will be lowered or which container to be lifted by the crane is known.

The said future location may be an estimated stopping point. The crane speed and deceleration can be taken into account when determining the future position. This future position may take into account the movement path programmed for the crane. The method may comprise combining the indication of a programmed path or a portion thereof with the formed video image, see path 610 and target 620 projected to the floor level video image shown to the lifting member in Figure 6.

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The method may further combine a display 420 (Fig. 4) with a video image of the crane safety area. Said safety zone can be determined dynamically based on at least one of the following: lifting height; mass of the load; the dangerousness of the load, such as corrosivity or flammability; direction of crane movement; and crane movement speed.

The method may further define a crane path limiting relative to the generated video image and combine the indication with said crane path limiting video image. Said restriction may be based on the crane's operating range and / or the designated crane area due to the structure of the crane, see protected area designation 510 shown in Figure 5. Protected areas may be areas where crane guidance is prevented to prevent material or personal injury.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of upgrading a crane, wherein:

installing one or more video cameras to depict the environment of the crane lifting device, unless a suitable video camera is already available;

providing a crane control apparatus for performing the first aspect steps 320-340) using a video image obtained from a video camera depicting the crane environment;

The old crane may be upgraded in accordance with an embodiment of the invention using apparatus for controlling the crane, comprising:

means arranged to form a video image of the crane lifting point (for example, one or more cameras 130);

means arranged to determine, with respect to the resulting video image, the current position and the future position of the lifting member or load (for example, processor 220 and / or the height measuring device of the lifting member);

means arranged to combine with the formed video image an indication of the future location of the lifting member or the load (e.g., processor 220); and means arranged to repeatedly rerun said determination and connection for real-time indication of the future position of the lifting member or load (e.g., processor 220).

The foregoing description provides non-limiting examples of some embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the particulars set forth, but that the invention may be practiced in other equivalent ways. For example, it will be appreciated that in the disclosed methods, the order of the individual process steps may be rearranged and that some steps may be repeated several times or omitted entirely. It is also to be understood that in this document the terms embrace and include are open expressions and are not intended to be restrictive.

Further, some features of the disclosed embodiments may be utilized without the use of other features. The foregoing description is to be construed as merely explaining the principles of the invention and not limiting the invention. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims (13)

A method of controlling a lifting crane comprising: a) forming (310) video image from the crane's lifting point; 5 characterized in that: b) determining (320) in relation to the video image formed a lifting position or a load's current position and coming position; c) combining (330) in the formed video image an indication of the lifting position (140) or the load's coming position; and D) repeating steps (b) and c) again (340) to indicate the position of the lifting member (140) or the load in real time. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the video image formation is performed with a video camera (130) located at a known lateral distance from 15 of the lifting crane (140). Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said lateral distance is constant. 20 Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coming position is an estimated stopping position (410, 620). Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the lifting crane (100) is taken into account in determining the coming position. And deceleration. Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: in determining the coming position, consider an operating path programmed for the lifting crane (100); and combining in the formed video image an indication (610) of the path of movement programmed for the lifting crane (100), or of a portion thereof. 20165994 prh 15-12-2017 Process according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that: determine the limitation of the crane's movement path in relation to the video image formed: and 5, combining the indication (510) of the limitation path of said lifting crane in the formed video image. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that said restriction is based on the structure of the lifting crane (100) caused by the lifting crane (100). 10 operating range and / or protection area (510) determined for the lifting crane (100). Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by combining in the formed video image an indication of the safety area of the lifting crane (420). Method according to claim 9, characterized by dynamically determining said safety area (420) on the base of at least one of the following: lift height; mass of the burden; the danger of the burden. 20 A computer program, comprising computer executable code (250), characterized in that where the program code is executed with a control device (200), the program code (250) directs the control device (200) to perform a method according to any of the preceding claims. 25 A method of updating a lifting crane (100), comprising: installing one or more camcorders (130) to film the lifting crane (140) of the lifting crane, if a suitable camcorder does not exist before; and arranging the control device (200) of the lifting crane to perform steps b) -d) according to claim 1 with the video image attached from the camcorder (130) of the crane (100). A device for controlling a lifting crane comprising: means (130) arranged to form video image from the lifting point of the lifting crane; means (220) arranged to determine in relation to the video image formed a lifting member (140) or the current position and the coming position of a load; means (220) arranged to combine (330) in the formed video image an indication of the position of the lifting member (140) or the load coming; and Means (220) arranged to repeatedly perform steps b) and c) to indicate the position of the lifting member (140) or the load in real time.